


Thursdays

by knitekat



Category: Primeval
Genre: First Meetings, Fix-It, Gen, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-21
Updated: 2014-09-21
Packaged: 2018-02-18 07:06:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2339546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knitekat/pseuds/knitekat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stephen never got the hang of Thursdays - but this Thursday he bumps into Sarah Page and things might be looking better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thursdays

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lonely-Candle](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Lonely-Candle).



> Thanks go to Fredbassett for the beta.

Stephen had never really got the hang of Thursdays. They were far enough into the week that most of his work had been completed yet still not close enough to the weekend to relax, to not expect some crisis to rear its ugly head and cause mayhem. Of course, these days, that mayhem usually went by the name of Professor Nick Cutter. 

This was a typical Thursday. 

It had started off reasonably well, with Stephen only getting soaked on his ritual morning run. The rest of the morning had even been a moderate success, for Stephen had been prepared to step into Nick's place when the man hadn't turned up for his lecture. It was a common occurrence ever since Helen – no, it was better to think of her as Dr Cutter – had disappeared and, well, Stephen just knew Nick was once more having a long weekend searching the Forest of Dean for any sign of her. 

He sighed, knowing the University would only put up with Nick's absences for so long before they complained. Well, complained more than they had done so far, but even the Dean had more sense than to rile the Scot when the second anniversary of Dr Cutter's disappearance was imminent – Stephen recalled that had been a Thursday as well.

Stephen did his best to suppress the memory that his affair with Hel... Dr Cutter... had also started on a Thursday, after one of those long revision sessions before finals. He'd been so thrilled with Dr Cutter's praise that he'd never thought for one moment to refuse her offer of a beer or two and then... Stephen shook his head; only misery came from remembering that time. Knowing she'd lied to him and used him, had used Nick too. 

All Stephen could be thankful for was that Nick had known what his wife was like and had never blamed him for the affair. To Stephen's shock, he had instead offered to add Stephen to his own immense workload and the two had ended up as friends and then colleagues. 

Stephen shook his head. Musing about the past would only make him as morose as Nick. He had far better things to do with his short break from the chaos, namely finding food to keep him going for the remainder of the working day. He groaned as he recalled he had a long afternoon stretching before him and the knowledge that at least two of Nick's students would be by to ask questions they'd know the answers to if only they listened in the lecture would not make it any easier. He sighed as he rose in search of lunch; life would be so much easier if he didn't need to repeat himself to students who couldn't be bothered to pay attention the first time. 

He strode down the corridor towards the café he favoured, taking a corner at speed and knocked someone over. Stephen cursed as papers flew in every direction and he just knew it was because it was bloody Thursday, any other day of the week and he wouldn't have just sent someone flying in a swirl of dark hair and white paper. 

“Sorry.” He reached out a hand and waited for the smaller hand – a woman's – to grasp his. He pulled her to her feet, noticing how her honey skin set off her brown eyes. A cleared throat had Stephen mentally shake himself to find himself staring down at the amused face of his victim. She was bloody gorgeous. The young woman rolled her eyes at him before bending over to pick up her scattered work and after a second of just ogling her, Stephen knelt down to help. “I really am sorry.”

“It's fine,” the woman told him, “I'm getting used to be knocked into by footballers.”

“Ah,” Stephen ran a hand through his hair. “I don't play.” When she quirked an eyebrow at him, Stephen cursed that today was a Thursday and made an effort to... well, at least get to know her as a friend. “Look, I was on my way to lunch. Can I at least buy you a cup of coffee?”

“Sarah,” The woman – Sarah – held out her hand when Stephen introduced himself. “Well, I was on my way to the library but I'm sure I can spare a few minutes.”

***

Once he'd brought his own lunch and paid for a protesting Sarah's as well, Stephen found his new... Sarah... easy to chat with as they shared a table and various antidotes of life at CMU. Discussing the various professors and how the new students always seemed so much younger and more stupid each year.

“Shit!” Stephen muttered as he glanced at his watch before hastily rising from the table. “I'm so sorry, Sarah, but I'm late for a lecture.”

Sarah's smile melted Stephen's heart and he just knew he would have spent the whole afternoon with her, chatting and laughing and who knew if it would have led to more. If he hadn't had to rush off to give a lecture to idiots who most likely wouldn't pay any attention to him, if only it hadn't been a Thursday. 

“I'm sure the lecturer wouldn't notice you sneaking in...” She giggled. “Oh dear, you're the lecturer?”

Stephen nodded and then shrugged, “I'm a teaching assistant, standing in for Professor Cutter.”

“Nutter Cutter?”

Stephen mock glared at her before sharing a grin. “Look, I'm really am sorry...”

Sarah smiled and stopped his second apology with an almost chaste kiss. “You'd better run.”

Stephen nodded gratefully and dashed off to his fun afternoon with students. It was only as he reached the podium and turned to face them that he realised he didn't know Sarah's surname or how to contact her. He groaned softly, he should have known nothing good would happen to him today, it was, after all, a Thursday.

***

Stephen stretched and heard his back crack as he finally finished the day's tasks, shoving the marked work into Nick's in-tray for him to double-check. Casting a final look around the room before he left, Stephen frowned as he noticed the envelope someone had pushed under the door. No doubt some student too fearful to face Nick with their request. He bent down and picked it up, prepared to put it on Nick's desk for the morning when he realised his name was written on it.

Curiosity compelled Stephen to open it now rather than in the morning and a wide grin spread across his face as he read Sarah's note, giving her contact details and asking if he'd like to go out one evening. 

Stephen still couldn't get the hang of Thursdays and doubted he ever would, but even he had to admit that this Thursday was turning out better than most. He smiled as he walked out of Nick's office, wondering where he could take Sarah. What he did know was that, whatever day they chose, it certainly wouldn't be a Thursday.


End file.
